Dragon's Ruin_A Reverse Harem Serial

by Lili Zander

  “She’s Norm.”

  He doesn’t sound judgmental, just curious. My answer is still defensive. “The mating mark appeared on us.”

  “On all the dragon princes.”

  It’s not phrased as a question.

  Maybe an impartial observer will be able to offer some insight. Derther is much younger than me, of course, but he’s lived a long life, and he’s known for his wisdom and good sense. And the wolves have their own myths, handed down from generation to generation. Maybe Derther will know something about the prophecy and the curse that I don’t.

  I have few secrets from the Alpha. “She’s also got a piece of the Bloodstone in her,” I reply. “My mother spoke to her last night in a vision.” I lift my shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I wish I knew what that meant.”

  All my life, I’ve searched for my mate, hoping to shatter the curse. The Bloodstone was our most precious treasure, but I never thought it was connected to Zyrian’s revenge. Now, everything is coming together in ways I don’t understand.

  “You know the story of the Bloodstone,” Derther Roth starts.

  “What story?”

  He gives me an impatient look. “The Bloodstone holds magic,” he replies. “At least, it did until Zyrian cast his curse. The dragon balls—Annwn, Olympus, Duat, and Valhalla—were social dances for dragons to meet and find their mates, of course, but they were also occasions when the magic of the Bloodstone was replenished.”

  That old legend. “You’re talking about the BloodGift. Is it even true?”

  “Of course it’s true.” The Alpha gives me an irritated look, and I’m taken back in time, being rebuked by my tutor for not sitting still and paying attention. Derther reminds me of Leopold Kaiser, my dragon teacher. He’d been a mage too, and he’d have known about the history of the Bloodstone. Unfortunately, he’d been killed in one of Zyrian’s murderous sprees, as had the rest of the House of Kaiser.

  “Don’t you talk to the others?” Derther demands now. “Lord Valder was alive before the curse. He would have bled for the stone.”

  “It’s taken all the pressure I can exert to even get Erik to attend the balls,” I retort frankly. “Valder never talks about the past, and you know it.”

  “He has a new mate now,” the other man says. “His heart has been frozen in grief for a very long time, but the past will slowly lose its hold on him. Yes, the BloodGift is true. When I came of age, my father taught me our legends, like his father before him. Pack Helferich’s duty is to remember and to record until a day comes when hope rises once again on the horizon.”

  “You’re talking about Aria.”

  He nods soberly. “She is your biggest treasure, Bastian Jaeger. Guard her well.”

  He refills both our steins from the draft tap in his office. “For centuries, dragons have offered their blood to the stone,” he says. “It was a tool to keep the world’s magic in balance. A reservoir, if you will. The gemstone took from the dragons and gave to the rest of the magicals.”

  “The magic is locked now.” This much I know to be true. Dragons should be able to reach for the magic of the stone, but we can’t. Even Mateo can’t access its contents.

  “The stone doesn’t work that way anymore,” the Alpha confirms. “When Zyrian cast his curse, he sealed the Bloodstone. You can bleed all over it, but it will absorb nothing. The seal can only be broken by one with the key.”

  Once again, he’s talking about Aria.

  “If that key falls into the wrong hands,” he warns. “The world will be filled with dark magic.”

  “Zyrian’s hands.”

  “Yes.” He downs his beer in a gulp. “I have spies everywhere,” he says. “Even in the Dark Dragon’s castle. They tell me that Zyrian’s magic is fading. For centuries, he’s gained power by slaughter. He’s killed thousands of magicals, and he’s absorbed their life force. But the effects are waning. Zyrian needs a new source of magic. And there’s more…”

  “Of course there is.” I can’t keep the note of bitterness out of my voice. Just for once, I’d like life to be simple. After years of searching, we’ve found our mate. It would be really nice if we could just enjoy that. I’m overtaken with a surge of envy for Derther Roth, who has a mate, happily-married children, and grandchildren he can speak of with love in his eyes. “Isn’t that always the case?”

  He gives me a sympathetic look. “The wolves are amassing. The Red Growlers, the pack that’s closest to the Dark Dragon, are preparing for war. Zyrian’s calling in allegiances from the foxes, the bears, the wolves, even other dragons.”

  The shifters don’t concern me. The dragons, on the other hand, are far more troubling. We are solitary creatures, and we don’t tend to form alliances. Especially not with Zyrian. The memory of the dark days after the curse is still fresh in our minds.

  “Four young dragons flew to Alaska last week,” he replies. “They’re from lesser families. Stupid fools. Just because their families weren’t targeted in Zyrian’s purge doesn’t mean they’re safe.”

  Last week. When we were busy searching for a way to block Zyrian’s access to Aria’s mind. Damn it. The Dark Dragon has been active on many fronts. Unlike me, whose only focus is to protect Aria.

  I’m glad I came to see the Helferich Alpha. Tomas is back in New York, protecting Silas Archer, but I need to get him to investigate this.

  “What is he offering them?”

  “What do dragons care about more than anything else? Power, of course. He’s told them he’s remaking the Council of Thirteen, and he’s offering their families a seat at the table.”

  “Zyrian will never form a council,” I reply flatly. “He doesn’t share his power. They’re even stupider than I would have thought. I need names, if you can tell me who they are without endangering your agents?”

  “I’ve pulled them out,” he replies. “Things are too unstable right now.” He smiles ruefully. “Wouldn’t it be something if we could fight the way the Norms do? Avoid the battlefield entirely and drop bombs from the air?”

  If only things were that easy. Maintaining a shield is elemental magic. You don’t even need to be a mage to do it. I haven’t been to Castle Jaeger in twenty years, yet the shield I took over when I came of age still stands, as strong as it was on the day I created it. It doesn’t work on people, but it definitely blocks mindless and magic-free Norm objects like bombs and bullets.

  To kill Zyrian, we need to storm his castle, and it sounds like the mage is shoring up his defenses.

  “Aria’s safe,” I reply. “For the moment, that’s all that matters.”

  He sighs heavily. “I hope you’re right, Bastian.”

  He looks every inch of his eighty-odd years. I feel for the Alpha. Whether we like it or not, Zyrian is preparing for a fight, and Pack Helfrich, as my allies, are bound to get caught up in it.

  I get to my feet. “Thank you, Derther. For everything.”

  He rises too. “You’ve shouldered the responsibility for the curse alone and unaided, but all of us have a stake in this. Pack Helfrich and House Jaeger have been allies for centuries, my Lord. But more than that, I consider us friends. We are ready to fight, Bastian. If you call for aid, Pack Helferich will answer.”

  6

  Aria

  Rhys finds me in the study at six in the evening, reading a book on my phone. “Change of plans,” he says. “I was going to take you into the city for dinner, but Bastian wants to talk to us.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m sure everything’s fine,” he assures me. “Bastian went to see the Pack Alpha. I assume he wants to tell us what he learned.” He grins cheerfully. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll stay in for dinner and go out afterward.”

  I tilt my head to one side and look at him. “You’re being very mysterious. What do you have planned?”

  His smile widens. “If I tell you,” he says with a wink, “It’ll ruin the surprise.”

  My lips twitch. “You’re just quoting me.”r />
  “It seems so apt, don’t you think?” He sits next to me and leans against my shoulder. “Did you enjoy your magic lessons?” he teases. “It certainly sounded like it.”

  My face flames. The dragons seem perfectly unperturbed by the fact that I’m making out with all of them—except Erik—but I’m much less casual about it. “Tell me something,” I ask Rhys. “Does it bother you that I have five mates?”

  “No, love. I’m very good at sharing my toys.”

  I punch his bicep. Hard. “If I were you,” I advise him, “I’d rephrase that sentence.”

  He winces. “Sorry love,” he says immediately. “That came out wrong. You’re definitely not a toy. You know that, don’t you?”

  I pause and let him sweat for a few seconds, biting back my smirk. Of course I know Rhys doesn’t think of me as a possession. If I had the slightest doubt about something as important as that, I wouldn’t be here, curse or no curse. I take pity on him when his expression turns concerned. “I’m just messing with you.”

  “Is that so?” His eyes gleam with wicked amusement. “Tell me something, Aria. Are you ticklish?”

  I shoot to my feet. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Wouldn’t I?”

  Mateo walks into the room at that moment and catches the last bit of our exchange. “What wouldn’t Rhys dare to do?” he asks.

  “I was just asking Aria if she was ticklish,” Rhys replies. “From her reaction, I’m guessing that’s a yes. Next time she isn’t cooperating in a magic lesson, maybe we could use it for a little motivation.”

  They are ganging up on me now? I am so screwed.

  Mateo chuckles. “That’s a good idea. Aria does a lot better with creative teaching methods.”

  I glare at the two of them. “You know you guys are assholes, right?”

  They both laugh at my expression. I’m wondering if I can manipulate the threads of magic surrounding Mateo without him noticing when Bastian walks into the room. Erik and Casius are right behind him. “Sorry about your date,” he says apologetically to Rhys and me. “But Derther Roth had some news that I thought you should all hear.”

  He fills us in on the conversation. “So Zyrian’s bracing for war?” Casius asks. “Why now? We’ve never been able to storm his castle before.”

  Erik looks grim. “Maybe he thinks that we’ll try harder. Now that we have Aria.”

  I give them an inquiring look. “Does Zyrian know about the prophecy?” The moment I ask the question, I realize the answer. So you are the mate, Zyrian had said to me back in New York. Of course he does.

  Mateo nods soberly.

  Okay then.

  “We’re not going to attack,” Bastian says firmly. “Not until we’re better prepared. I’m not planning on fighting a war that I can’t win.”

  “I always thought the BloodGift was a rumor too,” Casius says thoughtfully. “It’s never been mentioned in any of the scrolls or manuscripts I’ve read.”

  Erik frowns. “You can’t write it down,” he says, as if everyone should know that. “There’s a gaes on it.”

  Bastian runs his hands through his hair, looking frustrated. “Derther asked us if we ever talked to each other. Damn it. I never knew that. Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Erik doesn’t reply.

  Because thinking of Zyrian reminds Erik of his mate, I realize. It brings him back to a time when she was in his life.

  We’re all under a lot of stress. I don’t want to think too much about Erik’s loss, and I don’t want the dragons to get into an argument. I cut in before they can start squabbling. “So if you bleed on the Bloodstone, it’ll absorb it?”

  “It used to,” Erik replies tightly. “Not anymore. Mateo, you have the gem?”

  Mateo hands it to Erik, who sets it on the coffee table. The golden dragon is back in position again, hugging the stone tight, hiding the chip in the ruby. “Watch,” he says. He stares at his right hand, and his nails grow into talons. Holy crap that’s both scary and awesome. Then, with a casual gesture, he slashes his left palm.

  “What the…” I bite back my instinctive shout and glare at Erik. “Next time, warn me, will you?”

  His lips lift in a smile. “It’s just a scratch, princess.” He holds his hand over the ruby. Blood wells from his cut and falls on the gemstone, but as Erik had predicted, nothing happens.

  Or…?

  There’s a pressure in my head. I can feel the Bloodstone strain to soak in Erik’s blood, but something’s stopping it. There’s a barrier around it, and it won’t be penetrated.

  Not yet, something inside me whispers. The time has not yet come.

  “See?” Erik says quietly.

  “But it worked before?” Mateo asks insistently. “You’ve seen it?”

  “Before the curse came into effect, I’d given blood many times,” Erik replies. “Then, shortly after Maija Essen died, I went to the Annwn Gala.” He stares into the fire. “That night, when we lined up to bleed on the stone, it didn’t accept the gift. That was our first indication that something was wrong.”

  “Why didn’t anyone try to figure out why?” I ask softly.

  Erik shakes his head. “You have no idea what those days were like,” he replies, his expression troubled. “Zyrian had informants everywhere. Dragons were being hunted, poisoned in their homes, killed in the streets. No one knew who to trust. Nobody had time to investigate the Bloodstone. We were too busy trying to stay alive.”

  God, I feel like a jerk for asking. I put my hand on his. “I’m sorry.”

  The moment I touch him, I know what to do. “Erik,” I whisper. “Cut my hand.”

  “What?” He gives me a horrified look.

  “Please.” The certainty inside me is growing. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I know exactly what I need to do. “Mateo can heal it.”

  Mateo hears the strained note in my voice. “Do it.”

  I barely feel the slice of Erik’s talon against my skin. I do what he did—hold my palm over the Bloodstone and let my blood drip down on it.

  The same pressure fills my head. For a second, I wonder if my instincts are wrong.

  But only for a second.

  Because this time, when my blood touches the ruby, the barrier momentarily gives way, and the red drops are slowly absorbed into the gemstone.

  Threads of magic swirl around the dragon’s treasure and around me, tugging us together. The stone is calling to me. It wants to be whole again.

  My head starts to hurt. On auto-pilot, I pick up the stone with the hand that’s bleeding.

  A surge of magic rushes from the ruby into me.

  But the magic is skewed. It feels wrong, tainted. This is almost as bad as Zyrian’s thick, oily strands of magic. If we release this into the world, I know that things won’t get better.

  They’ll get worse.

  The Bloodstone’s magic seems to burrow its way into my cut. I reflexively push it out, but it’s strong. So strong…

  “Enough.” Casius’ voice is harsh, and he yanks the chain from my grip, his face pale. “Mateo. Heal her now.”

  That was much more powerful than I ever anticipated.

  You must pretend that you’re fine, a voice inside me cautions. Otherwise, the dragons will not let you touch the Bloodstone again.

  Is that my voice? Maija Essen’s? The Bloodstone itself? I don’t know anymore.

  I smile up at Mateo. His piercing blue eyes are filled with concern as he runs a finger over my cut, healing it effortlessly. “See?” I tell Erik, flexing my fingers. The blood magic is tugging me toward him, and him toward me, but we both resist its pull. “As good as new.”

  “Are you sure?” Bastian asks worriedly.

  I don’t like lying to my dragons, but something compels me to keep silent. “Of course.” I jump to my feet. “I’m starving. Do you think Frau Ziegler still has some of last night’s kale and sausage soup? I’ve been dreaming about it all day.”

  They’re not quite reassur
ed, but they don’t press me. “Don’t eat too much,” Rhys says, coming up to me and putting a hand on the small of my back. “It might spoil your surprise.”

  “And what is my surprise?”

  Bastian bites back a smile. So he’s in on it too? I’ve got to start figuring out how to hold my own against my dragons.

  7

  Aria

  Oh. My. God.

  At dinner, in response to my badgering, Rhys had told me that he was going to give me a tour of the area. Silly me, I assumed we’d be driving into Cologne so I could see the sights.

  But no. Rhys is going to take me flying. In the sky. On dragon back. This is every single one of my Game-of-Thrones, Harry-Potter, Anne McCaffrey fantasies come to life.

  I’m so excited that I can’t stop jumping up and down with glee. “This is so awesome,” I say, probably for the tenth time.

  Mateo, who’s standing next to me on the lawns in front of the castle, laughs at my expression. “Erik says you’re concerned about the cold, tesoro,” he says indulgently. “Here. This will help.”

  He does something clever with his magic, and a warm blanket of air seems to drape around me. What a sweet trick. “Teach me how to do that,” I tell the mage enviously. Super handy to be able to control the temperature around me—I always seem to freeze my ass off in winter, no matter how bundled I am. “Unlike making paperweights fly through the air, being warm is a useful skill to learn.”

  Mateo rolls his eyes. “Use your imagination, little thief. If you can fetch a paperweight, you can fetch more valuable things. Like swords.”

  Oh. Duh. Not my brightest moment.

  Thankfully, Rhys cuts in before I can feel too much like a fool. “You ready?” he asks, his face lit up with excitement that matches my own. I remember what Erik said. Rhys loves to fly.

  I’m totally ready. I’m finally going to see one of my mates in dragon form, and I’m going for my first flight. “Hell, yes.”

  Rhys methodically takes off his clothes. He’s not trying to be sexy, but my constantly-horny libido still takes note. Is it wrong that the soundtrack of Magic Mike is playing in my head, and Rhys is playing the starring role in my fantasies, shoving Channing Tatum out of the way?